Medical professionals have traditionally recommended that older women and those with higher-than-average risk perform monthly self-examinations for breast cancer. If they notice any changes in the texture or appearance of their breasts, they may need to seek out medical evaluation. Healthcare professionals have tools ranging from ultrasound and mammogram technology to biopsies that can assist with the diagnosis of breast cancer.
Women who receive a diagnosis can undergo treatment that can help them achieve remission and avoid the worst outcomes. Unfortunately, doctors sometimes downplay or ignore a patient’s symptoms. They may rush through examinations or testing protocols and could miss key information. Those failings may come to light months later when secondary testing confirms the presence of breast cancer. That delay in diagnosis could lead to claims of medical malpractice brought against a physician who didn’t diagnose an affected patient earlier.
Why are delays in breast cancer diagnosis such a serious medical mistake?
Breast cancer can grow quickly
What starts as a lump the size of a marble can quickly become much larger and more dangerous for a patient. There are multiple different types of breast cancer, each of which develops differently. However, as a general rule, medical professionals state that breast cancer can double in size every 180 days or six months.
While that growth is often localized to one mass initially, it may soon metastasize or spread to other parts of the body. The longer a patient has to wait after reporting their concerns to receive a diagnosis, the more likely the cancer is to worsen because of the delay.
Cancer that progresses into later stages of development can be much harder to treat. Instead of a localized surgical removal, they may have to undergo a radical bilateral mastectomy and systemic treatments like chemotherapy and radiation that make them incredibly sick.
Doctors are the gatekeepers for both testing and treatment. When a physician doesn’t follow the right protocol or dismisses a patient’s concerns, their behavior may violate current best practices. Any significant deviation from standard medical practices can constitute malpractice.
Patients who face diagnostic delays after reporting potential warning signs of breast cancer may have grounds to pursue a medical malpractice lawsuit against the physician involved. The lawsuit can potentially help cover the increased treatment cost the patient may incur, lost wages and other economic consequences of the cancer growing due to the delay in diagnosis. Holding a negligent physician accountable can help minimize the harm caused by unprofessional healthcare practices that put a woman’s life at risk.